For the entering class of 2014, admission to Ivy League universities will be more competitive than ever. Top schools will likely reject 80-90% of all candidates, including many with perfect grade point averages and test scores. How do they decide who gets in? Many applicants would kill to know the admissions "secret," the competitive edge that can help them gain acceptance.

In such a talented pool of applicants, exceptional writing (in a persuasive, well-conceived essay), augmented by credible third-party...